Mike Riversdale

Memory is one of the strangest abilities you possess. Your brain uses an incredibly complex biological system to preserve moments from your past that no longer exist, allowing you to revisit experiences from years ago. But memories are not always recordings of reality. In fact, every time a memory comes under the spotlight of your attention, it can melt and change a tiny bit. What exactly is a memory, how is a moment in time stored inside your brain, and why does remembering something slowly rewrite the story of your life? via the wonderful Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell

If you don't know about  Sarah Wynn-Williams and her book, Careless People , then I urge you to get a copy for a number of reasons. Let's start with the opening chapter where an early teenage Wynn-Williams, a New Zealand lawyer, public policy advisor, and author, was attacked by a shark as a teenager while on holiday in Tukurua, Golden Bay / Mohua. It's quite the harrowing event and after which I imagine she wasn't afraid of bastard sharks she worked alongside at Facebook (now Meta). Of course the book is now famous for giving the low down on the internal processes, culture, and 'leadership' at Facebook (Meta), especially around: Internal guidelines on content moderation Parscale’s team also ran voter suppression campaigns. They were targeted at three different groups of Democrats: young women, white liberals who might like Bernie Sanders, and Black voters. These voters got so-called dark posts—nonpublic posts that only they would see. They’d be invisible to ...

Neils Bohr and Albert Einstein famously had many discussions / disagreements  both taking contrarian views and calling out any 'bullshit' in their hunt for the truth about reality.  Carl Sagan's 9 timeless lessons for detecting baloney by Ethan Siegel, February 10, 2026 Carl Sagan was one of the most prominent scientific figures of the 20th century, helping cofound the now-thriving field of planetary science and popularizing physics and astronomy for a generation of adults and children. His "baloney detection kit" remains, even in 2026, a masterstroke for helping guide people down the path of critical thinking, and inoculating themselves against grifters, frauds, and charlatans. Demand independent confirmation of whatever statements are asserted as facts. Encourage substantive debate from all points of view by those with substantial, relevant expertise. Don’t accept an argument from an authority because that person is an authority. Instead, judge arguments based...

He's quite the character is Mr Moore , a wizard no less, and so so utterly creative! If I could I would get actual books (paper and all that) of everything he's ever created or co-created. In the meantime here's 4 I am gonna order over the next few months ... yes, actual books! Jerusalem (2016) Employing, a kaleidoscope of literary forms and styles that ranges from brutal social realism to extravagant children’s fantasy, from the modern stage drama to the extremes of science fiction, Jerusalem’s dizzyingly rich cast of characters includes the living, the dead, the celestial, and the infernal in an intricately woven tapestry that presents a vision of an absolute and timeless human reality in all of its exquisite, comical, and heartbreaking splendor. League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Vol. 1: The Absolute Edition London, 1898. The Victorian Era draws to a close and the twentieth century approaches. It is a time of great change and an age of stagnation, a period of chaste orde...

Trump, his Administration, his ever changing known and hidden gang of cronies, and all those that support his thinking and behaviour never sleep, they are constantly endeavouring to enrich themselves (but only Trump ad those at the top actually get anywhere with it) and in the process fuck up the rest of the world for us all. Who pays the cost when Americans opt out of science? by Adam Frank, July 15, 2026 From this, and many other encounters, I learned that science denial is not about science — that reader and others I’ve engaged with expressed no curiosity about how planetary climates actually worked. Instead, it is about a kind of tribalism: If you identify as a member of certain groups — usually ones that have a particular political orientation — then you oppose certain kinds of science. It’s already becoming clear how the infection of science denial — of opting out of a commitment to science — is affecting the U.S. Because the current administration has embraced climate denial...

David McCandless through his Information is Beautiful website has added a whole page of Common MythConceptions - and I (un)learnt that: Depression = chemical imbalance Simplistic. Thank pharma for the idea that major depression is caused by an imbalance of brain chemicals like serotonin. Bananas grow on trees They actually grow on massive herbs that resemble trees. Bet you didn’t know that. We lose heat through the head Only in infants is most heat lost this way. Or if the head is the only uncovered part of the body. Fishy 3-sec memory While not the smartest, goldfish boast a memory span of 3 months – better than most politicians. Glass is a liquid Actually an ‘amorphous solid’. ‘But that's why stained-glass windows are thicker at the bottom.’ Nope. It’s just badly made glass. Sugar = hyperactivity Studies have disproved this. ADHD and poor behaviours still occurs in children with sugar-free diets. [also: QI S7E9 - Myth Of Sugary Foods/Drinks Effect On Children Exposed! ]  Shavin...

A cutting-edge thriller about an Artificial Intelligence takeover, written in consultation with leading AI and cybersecurity experts. During a routine overnight update at the headquarters of a major UK telecoms giant, two IT workers unknowingly set something terrifying in motion. They've started an LCE - an AI Loss of Control Event. Over the course of one night, a handful of staff race to regain control as forces far beyond the building begin to close in. What’s been unleashed threatens to change everything — and soon there may be no way to put it back. This is a very a real and disastrous phenomenon, and it could happen to us very soon. Wraith , a 4 episode BBC radio drama / podcast, is most excellent and, god forbid, could end up becoming a warning documentary within a year or so. It's fascinating to see how the AI uses all of its capabilities, deep fakes, connections, and even conspiracy-laden minds of people. None of it is currently brought together in a c...

Oh wow, I've always wondered what that feeling was and here is Professor Hannah Fry explaining it all. 28 May 2026 You can feel it on other people's skin too!  If they hold a charging phone or tablet while sitting on a bed or somewhere with their feet off the ground (so they aren't themselves grounded) and you keep your feet on the ground and gently stroke their skin with your finger - you will feel them "buzzing"  (as long as you're both sweaty enough of course...)

On Shortverse you can watch any of the 24,411 short films for free (once you create an account), as uploaded by filmmakers and all discoverable by genre, length, technique, topics, age rating, and even by short film festival. How about an 18 minute comedy / fantasy short movie,  Felix the Fox and the Enchanted Forest , perhaps.  by Teddy Young, 6 May 2024 Join Felix and Harold as they try to con their way out of the only thing they never wanted – adventure. No, not for you, well how about an experimental AI generated horror movie,  WORM ? by Gregory Foltynowicz, 17 February 2026 A surrealist body-horror short that stages intimacy as a fight for agency, where dominance and resistance collide and give birth to the consequences of unchecked power. Ok, ok, there are lovely family movies as well, give the 5 minute  DUCKS a go, you'll love it. by AJ Jefferies, 12 March 2025 A perfectly normal day in the park No - well sign up and have a look yourself, you will ...

A comfy chair, a large window, a table, a book, a charger, and the countryside rushing past. AND, nothing to do, no-one to hassle you, no cares as you can't do anything about any of the problems of the world because you're ensconced on a train. There is no finer way to travel, train! I adore train travel ... just in case you weren't getting it. Sea-hugging railways and magical views: five of Europe’s best coastal train lines by Nicky Gardner, 25 May 2026 1: Scotland: from coast to coast Route: Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh Which side should I sit? The right initially, then switch to left 2: Ireland: from Dublin to Wicklow Route: Dublin Connolly to Arklow Which side? Sit on the left 3: Germany: over the sea to the island of Sylt Route: Husum to Keitum Which side? Sit on the left 4: Spain: Galicia’s spectacular fjords Route: Ribadeo to Ferrol Which side? Sit on the right 5: Italy: Along the Calabrian coast Route: Reggio di Calabria to Soverato Which side? Sit on th...

I am a cook, not a chef. A cook needs a recipe, all the ingredients, and a good clean run at it in the kitchen without anyone giving advice. A chef can fling open a cupboard, scan what's available, and announce what they will be creating for dinner. I'm a cook, not a chef. Over the years I have collected recipes in many formats, scraps of paper, books, electronic notes, links to websites, and even YouTube videos. Everywhere and anywhere - not my favourite way to keep info. During lockdown, or maybe just after, I stumbled upon* Cooked.wiki At the time it was a hobby site from Eduardo Gonçalves , a software engineer, entrepreneur, and teacher from Lisbon. I believe it was Eduardo's attempt to learn how to code with AI and boy was it useful! It's still run by Eduardo but it's now a fully fledged website with excellent mobile apps AND it's ad-free and hosted in Europe which I adore , of course. Like a million other recipe sites/apps it organises, displays, and...

Yesterday I had a post go live with, I had hoped, a few messages about the Greens NZ policies and why everyone should give them a few moments about how it can positively affect them, the "hard-working Kiwi". I know that images always hit home quicker than just words, we are a visual animal and it's always best to have images alongside words ... in fact, a kitten looking down to the left is guaranteed to get some attention (a Webstock presenter proved that many moons ago). After writing the words, and by fuck it was a long time coming with many drafts and getting the bloody stats etc etc, I dropped a bunch of Google Gemini created images in to spruce it all up. Think of the images as pithy summaries and wallpaper. Unfortunately my use of "AI" to create the 'throw-away' images became the focus of some very passionate people, the words themselves faded into the background as the use of "AI" became the point of discussion. Bugger. I have learnt a ...

UPDATED 20th July, 2026: "AI" generated images replaced, see A Note About Those AI Generated "Greens NZ" Images I'm a Greens NZ voter, have been for quite a long time. I like their people, policies, and process. I have voted for other parties, sometimes for a very specific policy, and even once because I really liked the person which, according to most political pundits, is actually how most people vote - people they recognise and know wearing the colours they associate with. On some social media thingy (Mastodon via CloudIslandNZ I think), I read the following article and it got me thinking, what is it about the Green NZ policies that everyday New Zealanders would / should / could think about. Just saying, "Vote Green", for most people is a big turn off as it, well, it just doesn't ask that glorious question , why? The case for voting Green I’m not a member of the Green Party, but they're getting my vote. Here’s why. by Simon Wilson, Jun ...